Gun having a recoiling barrel.



F. WIEUSTRUCK. GUN HAVING A BBCOILING BARREL. nrmonmzz mm D110. n. ma.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

[MENTOR major, a subject of creases.

mg is on stee These-.ndvanta FRANZ WIEDSTBUCK, OF KbIlIGGRKTZ, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR T0 RH'EIN- ISGHE METALLWAABEN- UND MASCHINENFABRIK,

GERMANY.

Specification 0! Letters Intent.

0]? DUSSELDORF-DERENDOBE GUN HAVING A BECOILING' BARREL.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

lpplloltlon flied December 11, 1908. Serial No. 468,988.

To all whom it may concein:

Be it known that I Franz Wmoernocx, the Austro-Hun amen Emperor, residing at 138 Enge Kiiniggriitz, Austria-Hungary, have mvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Guns Having a Recoiling and I do hereby declare the folloynng to be a. full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others slulied in the art to which it appertains to make and use, the same.

The present invention'relates to improvements in guns having a 're'coiling barrel, es-

pecially se in which the recoil is a long one.

By use of the invention even those guns which are fired at a very high elevation can have a long recoil, the length of recoil being thesame or nearly the same for all elevations without the necessity for employing the usual auxiliary means such as the displacement of the t-runmons, or the reising of the position of the barrel. Moreover, the invention obviates the necessity for making the recoil variable, that is to say, for decreasin its length as-the elevation infine, e present invention fuloses of a lon recoil it ermits e gun a. lows the firing desirable fills the gen'eral pur n; more particular to remain stationary and hei ht to be as low as may be wit out an appreciable length of recoil. Asregards the first point, there is afforded the possibility that by use of the present inventlon, even when the fir- -at a high elevation, the barrel and parts sliding therewith never come below a certain minimum height, which can be.

determined beforehand. regards the second point, in proportioning the recoil m the, presentinvention even with guns firing inclines, ,one' is not more limite the level or on flat firing on in general.

than with'guns field guns inclines, for instance,

the barrel whic be of fire, to deviate rom compelling the whole recoiling move in 'a predetermined path, fected by guiding a part pf the reeoilin systexn' and involves a rote'tlon of the barre stem to and cradle around the trunnions; The guid- I, Essi t flie' org the construction be ng such, tln tthe; l gel L "Q in part moves in a suitably-curved nose,

'panying drawings.

dimunition of the,

are obteaned by causing ins to recoil in the line.

thisdirection, and

w 'iJ-QR T is is-efae r d-owing,"

.la't r with-he projection g. -By means of recoiling through the same distance, is always brought to the same finelposition. In thisend position the barrel may be retained by an automaticall a'ctin locking device and loaded. Thus or all e ovations the gun can .always be loaded in the same position, which me be arranged at a suitable height and in w ich the barrel arrives of its own accord.

The

invention is illustrated in the accom- 1 ure 1 is an elevation of a the invention is a plied, the arrel bein m a horizontal poslt-ion and as far forwer as possible. Fig. 2 is a like view'. of the an at about elevation, the barrel again ein as for forward as possible. Fi 8 15 av Ike view of the gun after it has en fired, the barrel bein in the position assurned'et the end of t e recoil. This is the position of the barrel at the end of the recoil whether 'the gun is fired in the position shown in Fi 1 or that shown in Fig. 2 or even at a big or elevation. Fig. 4 IS a section view of s modified detail.

The cradle a: which constitutes or carries the surface on which the barrel 6 recoils is adapted, m the exam 10 shown, to turn about the wheel axle a. he toothed sector (I is also free to turn. about the axle 0 and is formed as a casin open at the end'diiected toward the cm c and containing two sprm s e and f. Both springs bear against m m-mention g on the cradle extendinginto t a casing, and tend to lrce the cradle 1n the sition. In its mi dle position reintively to the toothed'portion of the sector the pro ection g is also held by a spring pawl Infixed to the sector, the pawl h hav- 1ng a \f'shaped end entering a notch in the PTOlBClJOD 9. By this arrangement, while the sprinfi pawl h is sufiicient'to hold the gun-barre and-cradle to the. sector,- when admstmg the sector to the desired en lo of elevation, cube 5 ring puwl-will yiel and rideputo theJnctc in the proi ction g thus free ng thelatter during recoi When the elevating mechanism is operated by the hand credle moves together with the tothe eugagementcf the sighting th'adjustab e device 1c attached -to th e toothed: sec

for. th s t n be in n inn to which i rel and cradle in elevation during such rccoil and return,

2. In a field un, the combination, with a carriage, a cra le mounted thereon and a gun barrel slidable on said cradle, of an up per and a lower guiding device and means carried by the barrel and arranged to engage one guiding device during recoil in one osition of the gun barrel and another guid- 10 mg device in another position of the gun barrel whereby the gun barrel is swung in elevation during recoil.

3. In a field. un, the combination, with a carriage, a cra 1e mounted on the carriage and arran ed to swing in elevation, a barrel sliding directly on the cradle in a line always substantiall parallel to the axis of the barrel, 9. curve guide for the barrel arranged to oscillate the barrel and cradle during recoil to bring the barrel from the firing elevation to a basic elevation, and means to automatically return the barrel to battery at the former'liring elevation.

4. In a field gun, the combination, with a carriage, a cra le mounted on the carriage and arranged to swing in elevation, a barrel sliding directly on the cradle inaline always substantially parallel to the axis of the barrel, a. curved guide for the barrel arranged to oscillate the barrel and cradle during rccoil to brin the barrel from the firing elevation to a asic elevation, means to temporarily detain the barrel at the basic eleva tion for loading, and means to automatically return the barrel to battery at the former firin elevation.

' 5. a gun having a recoiling barrel, a cradle pivoted on a horizontal axis, a barrel sliding on the cradle in a right lin a pin 40 carried by the barrel, a fixe curved ide forthe pm, said guide bein widened 111 its initial portion an narrows in its final ortion to divert the barrel during recoil in any firing elevation to a-basic elevation at 15 the code! recoil, and automatic means to returrl the barrel to battery and simultaneously to the firing position.

6..'In a gun having a recoiling barrel, a cradle pivoted on a horizontal ax1s,a barrel u sliding 'on the cradle in a right line, a pin for the pm, said guide bein initial portion an carried by the barrel, a fixed curved guide widened in its narrowe in its final portion to divert the barrel during recoil from any firin the end 0 recoil, automatic means to return the barrel to battery and simultaneously to the firing position, a catch to automatically detain the barrel at the basic elevation for loading and manually operable means to re- '60 lease said catch.

7. In a gun having a recoiling barrel, a. cradle pivoted on a horizontal axis, a barrel sliding-on the cradle in a right line, an elevating segment, a stop carried by the cradle, 5 springs hearing from opposite sides on the stop and against the extremes of the segment, 2. pm carried by the barrel, a curved guide formed in the gun carriage for the pin, said guide being widened in itsfinitial 70 portion and narrowed in its final portion to divert the barrel during recoil from any firing elevation to a basic elevation at the end of recoil, a catch to automat cally detain the barrel at the basic elevation, and means to 7 manually release the catch.

8. In a gun having a recoiling barrel, a cradle pivoted on a horizontal axis, a barrel sliding on, the cradle in a right line, an elevating segment, a stop carried by the cradle, 30 springs bearing from opposite sides on the stop and against the -.extremes of the segment, releasable means to fix the stop relative to the segment, a pin carried by the barrel, a curved guide formed in the gun car- 35 riage for the .pin, said guide being widened in its initial portion and narrowed in its final portion to divert the barrel during recoil irom any firing elevation to a basic elevation at the end of recoil, a-catch to automatically detain the barrel at the basic elevation, and means to manually release the catch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed-my signature in the presence of two witnesses FRAN Z WIEDSTRUOK. Witnesses:

Renae-r W. HEINGARTNER, AUoUs'r Fvoonn.

elevation to a basic elevation at 55 

